Read-Aloud Books to Teach Reading and Writing Skills

Read-Aloud Books to Teach Word Recognition Skills
After our successful book-based writers workshop mini-lessons, I decided to bring the students' enthusiasm for books to our Readers Workshop. I use the pages of our favorite books to introduce those skills all fluent readers must master.

 

Five Favorite Books to Teach Decoding & Word Recognition

  1. The New Kid on the Block by Jack Prelutsky
    • Silly, rhyming poems with easily identified syllabic patterns.
  2. The Wizard, the Fairy, and the Magic Chicken by Helen Lester
    • Many words with -ed endings, synonyms for the word said.
  3. The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
    • Many words with initial consonant blends.
  4. Pete's a Pizza by William Steig
    • Simple text is just right for identifying nouns.
  5. Yoko by Rosemary Wells
    • Great book to use for reviewing skills such as short and long vowels, -est & -ed endings, words with blends, compound words and words with plural ending -s or -e.
  

Read-Aloud Books to Teach Writing Skills
Sometimes, I'll share a favorite book prior to using it as a springboard for a mini-lesson in writing. Sharing a story during read-aloud "just for fun," then having students listen to that same story from a writer's perspective helps prove how writing skills apply to the real world of words.

 

Five Favorite Books to Teach Writing Skills

  1. If You Were a Writer by Joan Lowery Nixon
    • Inspires young authors and provides excellent writers workshop vocabulary words.
  2. Author by Helen Lester
    • Great for introducing the writing process.
  3. The Purple Coat by Amy Hest
    • One of my favorite books for introducing story leads.
  4. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
    • A book filled with descriptive language, analogies, and other words that paint pictures.
  5. Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells
    • Quick, humorous story for discussing how to write a complete story.
  

Based on ideas detailed in the books Literature Based Mini-Lessons to Teach Writing (1998) and Literature Based Mini-Lessons to Teach Decoding and Word Recognition (2000) by Susan Lunsford, Scholastic Professional Books.

A Special Reserve of Read-Aloud Favorites
On occasion, I've been known to toss the original plan aside in favor of revisiting one of several all-time favorites. As effective at lowering blood pressure as a pet, a special "reserve" read-aloud is soothing when it's been "one of those days."

One rainy afternoon after celebrating Hannah's birthday with m&m-covered chocolate cupcakes and sweetened fruit punch, my students were nearly bouncing out of their seats. So, I decided to read an all-time favorite to help us cope with the remaining half hour of school. In keeping with the birthday theme of the afternoon, I chose Nana's Birthday Party by Amy Hest and turned a seemingly hopeless, unmanageable end of the day into a pleasant, peaceful time spent with a book.

 

My Top Ten Special Reserve Read-Aloud Favorites

  1. The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant
  2. Nana's Birthday by Amy Hest
  3. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
  4. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
  5. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
  6. My Rotten Red-Headed Older Brother by Patricia Polacco
  7. Dr. DeSoto by William Steig
  8. Three Names by Patricia MacLachlan
  9. Something Big Has Been Here by Jack Prelutsky
  10. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst